Unnatural Talents
by Draconicality
Summary: The tale of a Johto trainer, her friends, her Pokemon, and her mysterious creation as a Mew - Human hybrid...
1. Starting

Unnatural Talents   
  
  
Sheila Burkes had always considered training.   
  
Her parents wouldn't allow it.   
  
Her mom always told her, "Sheila hon, when you grow up, we're passing our business on to you. You need to learn in school, not run all over the country on this Poketraining fantasy of yours."   
  
She had dropped it then. When her mother spoke in that tone, there was no arguing.   
  
But in reality, she hated the restaurant. It always stank of dead fish... but it was the only one in Cherrygrove that wasn't fast food. So they did do a pretty good job.   
  
The ten - year - old sighed, pushing her black bangs away from her eyes. Sometimes she wondered if they even loved her.   
  
*Of course they love you!* she chided herself. *Even if you *are* strange...*   
  
And she was. Her eyes were one thing - they were a beautiful pale blue and set at an odd slant, like cat's eyes. And her feet - she sighed, wiggling her toes in the stream - her feet looked like a Pokemon's - the toes seeming to fit together like paws.   
  
Some of her friends actually called her the Mew - girl. As if! She knew her psychic ability was high, but she was no Mew.   
  
She sighed once more and got up. Time to go back through the fields. She always wandered off into the woods to think.   
  
Midway through a particularly thick patch of grass, she froze. A pair of red eyes gleamed balefully at her as a Rattata leaped out, hissing and poised to attack.   
  
She knelt down slowly. "Calm down, mother," she said softly, knowing the Rattata could understand. "I mean no harm to you or any other here."   
  
Slowly, the purple rat backed down, and four tiny, curious faces popped out of a concealed burrow. She smiled at the baby Rattata and their mother, then stood and walked home, singing as she went.   
  
"Oh the field so green,   
And the sunset gold,   
Little creatures,   
At dusk grow bold,   
Rattata mother,   
Protect thy young,   
Live to see the rising sun."   
  
A song she had made up, long ago, when the baby Ratatta's grandmother had come up to her, weak, starving, and about to give birth.   
  
*******   
  
It was some time before she heard the screams.   
  
Running towards Cherrygrove, she met a horrible sight. In the darkness of evening, their house was in flames.   
  
Sheila screamed, "Help! Someone help!" But their house was too far away from the others. No one heard.   
  
"You ain't gettin' no help, girlie," growled a voice behind her. She spun round, marking only the face and the white R before she ran.   
  
Three Rocket grunts chased after her.   
  
BANG!   
  
BANG!   
  
BANG!   
  
The third shot connected, and the girl lay still in a spreading pool of red, invisible in the darkness.


	2. Awakening

Floating...floating in the air. A light tap and a high - pitched giggle. Spinning around and catching a flash of pink in the corner of her eyes-   
  
She woke.   
  
She was suspended in a tank of red liquid. An oxygen mask on her face allowed her to breathe. Numerous wires were taped to her, waving gently in the bubbles that rose to the surface.   
  
A tapping on the glass. Her slanted eyes focused on a blurry shape.   
  
She began to thrash around in the tank, slamming into the walls again and again. Pain fired through her chest, her back, her arms and legs.   
  
A screeching alarm!   
  
Scientists piled into the room, staring at the tank with wide eyes.   
*Must get out...*   
  
And something clicked in her brain. Blue eyes and a pink face.   
  
Mew.   
  
Mew - girl.   
  
PSYCHIC   
  
The oxygen mask fell from her face as she dropped to the floor, dripping. The blast had destroyed the tank. The floor was littered with unconscious scientists.   
  
Suddenly, staring into another tank, Sheila caught a glimpse of her reflection and gaped.   
  
Her bullet wound was gone.   
  
But her arms and chest... scars crisscrossed the areas of her body not covered by clothing.   
She looked horrible.   
  
And another Mew attack clicked.   
  
RECOVER   
  
The scars disappeared in the flash of healing blue. But... she had changed, somehow. She knew things she'd never thought possible.   
  
"Wh- what have we done?"   
  
One of the scientists stirred, his face a mask of pain.   
  
"Yes...what have you done to me?" she roared angrily. "What have you... done?"   
  
She began to cry, recalling her parents.   
  
The scientist stood and patted her on the shoulder. "It's all right...it's all right. We never meant to hurt your parents... but they're safe."   
  
"They are?"   
  
"Yes, they're in the hospital."   
  
"Bring me to them."   
  
"Sheila... wait. There's something I have to tell you... they're not your parents."   
  
"WHAT?"   
  
"You... well... we were experimenting with Mew DNA. We created the legendary Mewtwo in Kanto... and survived the blast that destroyed the lab. After moving here, we continued the experiment, added human cells, and eventually got...you."   
  
"Then who have I lived with all this time?"   
  
"They were Team Rocket members, assigned to monitor you and report on your growing powers. But... I'm afraid they loved you too much - and when they refused to give you up, they were attacked. You were badly hurt too - that's why we put Mewtwo DNA in your body. We had no other way to repair the wounds."   
  
"So...I am half Pokemon, then?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Let me out of here."   
  
"No...you're too weak still. Giovanni wants you to stay. He says that with enough training, well, you could be the one he's looking for," The scientist grinned, a mad show of teeth that made her shiver. "Weak enough to control... and strong enough to destroy any enemies! You're *perfect.*"   
  
"No!" She screamed and tore away from his grasp, trying to run, trying to get to the lab door.   
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such behavior! We must fix that."   
  
Sheila barely felt the tranquilizer in her arm before she crumpled to the floor once again.   
  
*******   
Dr. Dawes smiled again. His creation was unpredictable, yes... but she had to be kept intact or Giovanni would be most displeased.   
  
"No. 2! Matt! Get in here."   
  
The brown - haired fourteen year old shuffled nervously in, Ralthi and Ultimateon whimpering nervously at his feet.   
  
Ralthi greatly resembled a young otter in shape and size, though she walked on two legs. Combining Lugia, Dratini and Vaporeon had created her with green scales, long webbed fingers, large scalloped ears, and a powerful fishlike tail.   
  
Ultimateon, though odder - looking, was no less powerful. He resembled an oversized puppy, black in colour, with the yellow rings of Umbreon. Espeon's red gem was imbedded in his forehead, and between his ears, which glowed faintly red, a green leaf sprouted. A gold collar of Jolteon spikes ringed his neck, and white wings bearing the symbol of a crescent moon burst from his shoulders. To complete the picture, a black Vaporeon tail streamed behind him.   
  
"Matt, you are assigned to be No. 3's partner as well as No. 397 and No. 36's trainer." He said this while pointing at Sheila, Ultimateon, and Ralthi in turn. "Get No. 3 to her room."   
  
Matt nodded. "Yes sir."   
  
With a slight gesture, a glowing energy ball formed around Sheila, who rose into the air slowly. The four disappeared in the blue light of Teleport.   
  
Dr. Dawes rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He'd let his creations rest, for now - tomorrow, the real training would begin.


	3. Introducing

"Uhhh…"

Sheila's eyes opened slowly, the bright light of the room blurring her vision.  As it cleared, she realized someone was bending over her, and reflexively, she swung her fist upward.

"Yow!" yelled the brown-haired boy, clutching his nose.  "Wob wah dat foh?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"  Sheila sat up slowly, rubbing her aching head.  "You just surprised me…"

"Ah, id's ogay," muttered the guy.  Damn, his nose hurt.  His partner could pack quite a punch… He had a feeling he didn't want to get her mad.

"Who are you?"  Her bright Mew-eyes blazed into his own, matching pale purple.  He yelped and smacked a hand to his head – the psychic power streaming from her was POWERFUL, dang it!

"My name is Matt Thompson.  You are…?"

"Sheila Burkes."  She suddenly noted his odd features – the eyes, the skin, which was pale white.  "Wait a minute.  Are you…like me?  What is this place?  And…" she grimaced with a mix of anger and fear stamped on her features.  "Who was that scientist guy?"

Matt nodded at the questions.  "I guess I'll have to explain this as well as I can.

"The scientist guy is named Dr. Dawes.  He's the guy who created Mewtwo off in Kanto a few years ago.  This place is his research and training facility.  

"Yep, I'm like you, but I was created-" he spat the word bitterly "-from Mewtwo DNA.  Of course, since I was a prototype, they couldn't risk letting me out of the lab."

She frowned.  "I'm sorry.  Huh?"  She peered down, at the two strange creatures who gazed up at her with wide, dark eyes.

"Oh yeah," said Matt, scratching his head.  "Oops.  We've been grouped together for training, along with Ralthi and Ultimateon here.  We were supposed to go as soon as you woke up."

"Training?  What training?"

"Psychic and combat training for all of us," Matt looked worried.  "Look, if you're still too tired I could tell Dr. D-"

"Nah.  I'm fine, I guess."

"All right.  If you insist."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was a long way to the training room.

Along the way, Sheila tried to memorize the various twists and turns of the corridors, and hunted for an exit sign.  Finally, Matt noticed what she was doing and shook his head.

"It took me years to memorize this place.  I know where the exits are, I've tried to escape myself.  Once.  I'm begging you, don't try it.  Giovanni punished me…in ways…I can't talk about.  I don't want the same to happen to anyone else."

Her eyes widened.  "Isn't there a way to teleport out?"

He chuckled.  "That's one of the first things I tried.  This place has some weird kind of shield on the walls…My head almost exploded trying to get outside.  Inside's okay though."

She nodded, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.


	4. The First Battle

The attack came without warning.  
  
Both teenagers yelped and dove in opposite directions as the huge Onix's head crashed into the wall behind them.  
  
Ralthi and Ultimateon managed a high jump. While the huge rock snake lay temporarily stunned, they landed on it's back, running swiftly out to the side, and the small group spread out around the giant Pokemon.   
  
Ralthi attacked first, causing the Onix to roar in pain as a jet of water slammed into its head. It reared up, it's eyes reddened with rage.   
  
Sheila and Matt attacked together, dual Psywave attacks striking the rocky beast's body. Ultimateon flapped up to the high-domed ceiling, raining combination attacks of Razor Leaf and Water Gun.  
  
The Onix seemed to be at an extremely high level, because the attacks only seemed to aggravate it. Faster than anyone could expect, it swung it's mighty tail-  
  
Striking Ralthi and sending her flying with a pained squeal.  
  
Matt yelled, warping into the little Pokemon's path and catching her in his arms. She curled into his chest, whimpering as he directed a Recover at her.  
  
Meanwhile, Sheila had become the Onix's target, as Ultimateon was too high up to grab. She was hard pressed to avoid the lashing body of the rock snake, jumping and dodging to the best of her ability.  
  
Up above, Ultimateon growled, beginning to charge up a massive attack.  
  
A newly revived Ralthi and Matt began to fire Psybeams from a safer distance, the powerful attacks weakening the enemy.  
  
Suddenly, everyone's attention was taken up by Ultimateon, who had suddenly been surrounded by a globe of whirring colors and symbols.  
  
With a howling cry, Ultimateon released the mighty attack, straight at the Onix's head.   
  
The powerful, rainbow beam, containing the energy of the most powerful known elements, struck the giant and exploded with a burst of blue-white.  
  
The behemoth gave one final roar and toppled over, narrowly missing the astonished figures on the ground below.  
  
Ultimateon glided softly to earth, tottering to Sheila's feet and collapsing, completely worn out by that one attack.  
  
And then there was silence, broken only by the sound of slow clapping.  
  
Simultaneously, the heads of the four turned towards the high placed balcony, where their inhuman eyes picked out the shady form of a tall man, with a Pokemon at his side.  
  
Matt nudged Sheila, mouthing, "Giovanni."  
  
"Very good," came the voice of the Rocket Boss, as he moved a little further into the light. The form next to him revealed itself to be a smug-looking Persian, who emitted a purr before slinking back into the gloom. "Dr. Dawes has truly done an amazing job on you all. However, my Onix is not the only thing you must face. You must be trained to the peak of your abilities, all of you."  
  
Sheila bristled. How dare he talk about them as though they were mere objects, inanimate robots with no will?  
  
The Onix next to them shimmered and disappeared, vanishing into Giovanni's Pokeball with a flash of red. "You may go."  
  
Matt took Sheila by the arm, leading her out of the battledome's exit. Once back in the room, she shivered and sat down hard on the bed.  
  
"HOW can you just stand there and follow his orders, Matt? It's possible to just warp up there and end it! Or get away! How can you stand it?"  
  
Matt rubbed his arms, where goose bumps had appeared. "He's way too powerful to just do that. Better to improve our skills while we can. That man is very, very dangerous. He has powers that we can't beat."  
  
She shrugged, throwing up her arms in exasperation. "I guess you're right." She *had* sensed something unnatural about Giovanni, a kind of aura that made her feel uneasy. "We'd better just rest up. If that was a beginner's battle, I'd had to think of what we'll face next."   
  
Ultimateon was already asleep, sprawled tiredly on the floor of the room. The other three were beat, but they managed to stumble to the food dispenser in the corner of the room.  
  
Sheila hated the tasteless nutrient bar Matt handed her, but she was to hungry to argue and consumed it, then immediately hopped into the bunk, Ralthi curling up lightly on top of the sheets.  
  
Matt groaned and slapped his forehead. He'd have to take the couch. Again. 


End file.
